NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A6106
SPONSOR: Hawley
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to increasing
width and weight of the description specifics for an all terrain vehicle
 
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this legislation is to update the outdated ATV definition
to reflect the existence of larger all-terrain vehicles, often known as
utility terrain vehicles (UTVs).
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends subdivision one of Section 2281 of the Vehicle and
Traffic Law to increase the defined weight of an ATV to 2,000 pounds dry
weight and to increase the maximum width to 80 inches.
Section 2 provides that the bill shall take effect on the 30th day after
it shall have become a law.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The current weight limit in statute for ATVs means that New Yorkers
cannot register so-called utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) in this State.
In an effort to encompass the industry's current and future product
offerings, including the growing popularity of UTVs, this legislation
updates the outdated definition by increasing the maximum allowable dry
weight of such vehicles from 1,000 pounds to 2,000 pounds dry weight. It
also provides for an increase in the maximum width of such vehicles from
70 inches to 80 inches. New York State should be doing all it can to
expand one of its strongest economic sectors, tourism. This legislation
is a step forward in that it will enable more people to register their
vehicles and to visit our trails which will help local economies. •
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
02/12/20 A9818 - referred to transportation
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6106
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 10, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HAWLEY, BARCLAY -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to increasing
width and weight of the description specifics for an all terrain vehi-
cle
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 2281 of the vehi-
2 cle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 319 of the laws of 1997, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 (a) "All terrain vehicle" or "ATV" means any self-propelled vehicle
5 which is manufactured for sale for operation primarily on off-highway
6 trails or off-highway competitions and only incidentally operated on
7 public highways providing that such vehicle does not exceed [seventy]
8 eighty inches in width, or [one] two thousand pounds dry weight.
9 Provided, however, this definition shall not include a "snowmobile" or
10 other self-propelled vehicles manufactured for off-highway use exclu-
11 sively designed for travel on snow or ice, steered by skis or runners
12 and supported in whole or in part by one or more skis, belts or cleats
13 which utilize an endless belt tread.
14 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
15 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01976-01-1